As equine veterinarians, we often see horses with congenital or acquired deformities that can significantly impact their quality of life and future prospects. One such condition is a club foot, a type of flexural limb deformity that occurs at the level of the coffin joint, typically seen in horses between 1-4 months of age.
We’d like to share the inspiring story of a 6-month-old colt who presented to our UF Large Animal Surgery service for evaluation of a club foot.
Initially, the colt’s owner had been advised to euthanize the young horse due to the severity of the deformity. However, the owner’s intuition told her otherwise, and she sought a second opinion from our team. We’re glad she did. While this colt’s deformity was quite notable and he had an associated lameness, he was still in the less severe stage 1 category and young enough that we believed he could still have a good outcome with surgical intervention.
Understanding Club Foot Deformity
A club foot occurs when the hoof wall becomes more vertical, resulting in a “boxy” appearance to the foot. This condition can cause significant lameness and discomfort in affected horses. While the severity of the deformity plays a significant role in determining treatment and prognosis, we’ve seen that early intervention and surgical treatment can lead to impressive improvements in outcomes.
Surgical Intervention and Postoperative Care
The colt’s owner elected to undergo surgery to address the deformity, which involved transecting the distal check ligament (accessory ligament of the deep digital flexor tendon). This procedure, performed by Dr. Heather Roe and team, effectively “loosened” the contracture, allowing the hoof to return to its normal angle. In addition to surgery, a comprehensive postoperative care plan was implemented, which included pain medications, corrective farriery, physiotherapy, and controlled exercise.
At the two-week recheck, we were thrilled to see that the colt’s hoof angles had normalized, and he was sound. The owner was overjoyed with the results, and we were proud to have played a role in the colt’s recovery.
A New Lease on Life
Thanks to the owner’s trust in our expertise and her decision to pursue surgical treatment, the colt is now thriving in his forever home, where he’s being trained as a Western performance horse. This amazing story reflects the importance of seeking a second opinion and the power of early intervention and surgical treatment in addressing congenital and acquired deformities in horses.
Photos: A Before-and-After Comparison
We’re pleased to share the following photos, which demonstrate the dramatic improvement in the colt’s hoof angle and overall appearance following surgery.
We’re grateful to have had the opportunity to work with this incredible colt and his owner. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about our equine surgery services, please don’t hesitate to contact us at (352) 392-2229.
